Earlier this year, Samsung promised that it fully supports the new Matter (earlier CHIP) smart home standard and will bring Matter compatibility to SmartThings soon. During SDC 2022 last week, the South Korean firm said it would launch Matter support before the end of this year. Today, Samsung announced that support for Matter is now live on SmartThings.
The latest version of the SmartThings app on Android supports Matter. Through this app, users can control Matter-compatible smart home devices. Second and third-generation SmartThings Hubs and Aeotec Smart Home Hub will get Matter support via an OTA update. Select Samsung refrigerators with touchscreen displays and smart TVs will act as SmartThings Hubs, complete with Matter support.
SmartThings uses Matter’s Multi-Admin feature to bring full integration with Google Home. It means that both smart home ecosystems are fully compatible with each other. When users add a smart home product to one platform, the device will also be shown in the other app automatically when the app is opened.
Jaeyeon Jung, Corporate Vice President and Head of SmartThings, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, said, “We are now shifting from basic connectivity to building incredible experiences. Matter is the future, giving consumers extensive choice and smart device compatibility at scale. Today marks the most significant milestone yet toward mass smart home adoption.”
More companies will launch Matter support in the coming months
Samsung is one of the earliest members of CSA (Connectivity Standards Alliance), a body that governs the development and marketing of Matter. Amazon, Apple, ARM, Bosch, Bose, Corsair, Dyson, Ecobee, GE, Google, Huawei, iRobot, IKEA, Intel, Legrand, LG, Logitech, MediaTek, Midea, OPPO, Qualcomm, Roku, Schnieder, Sonos, TCL, Toshiba, TP-Link, Vivo, Xiaomi, and Zigbee, are also a part of CSA.
Apple brought support for Matter to its devices with iOS 16.1, iPadOS 16.1, macOS Ventura, watchOS 9.1, tvOS 16.1, and HomePod 16.1 software updates. Amazon and Google have announced support for Matter, and once all these firms roll out Matter support, it will get much easier for users to control Matter-compatible smart home devices from any app or platform.
